Horton Plaza Park set to reopen May 4

San Diego has been abuzz as the new Horton Plaza Park opening has finally arrived. Located at Broadway and Fourth Avenue, adjacent to Westfield Horton Plaza Shopping Center, the park will officially go live on Wednesday. At noon, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, community preview, and news conference, all open to the public. The opening celebration will take place from 6:30-10 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The evening event will be hosted by Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and will feature live music and installation art from William Close and the Earth Harp Collective, melodic strains from choral ensemble Sacra Profana, and live art from muralist Kelsey Montague. Beer gardens and food trucks will also be present for hungry and thirsty crowd-goers.

Mayor Faulconer stated in a news release, “Horton Plaza Park embodies our goal to create a place where San Diegans from all walks of life gather together to celebrate the cultures and experiences that truly make this ‘America’s Finest City.’ I am thrilled to celebrate the park’s reopening as a new chapter in our City’s history.”

The 53,000-square-foot park will be open seven days a week, and feature three food and beverage pavilions and a live performance amphitheater, complete with an “interactive pop-jet fountain” and color changing light sculptures. The park will come alive with lunch concerts, movie screenings, festivals, and holiday celebrations. Westfield’s Vice President of Development, Kim Brewer remarked, “This is not a ‘park’ in the traditional sense, rather a world-class plaza and entertainment destination in the Gaslamp.”

The current calendar has 75 events slated with plans to expand to 200 per year.

To kick things off opening weekend, the park will host two programs entitled “Plaza Play” and “Park Unplugged.” The former features life-size games and the latter performances by local musicians. From 7-10 p.m. on Saturday , there will be a “silent disco,” where fans control their own volume and dance the night away. Be one of the first 100 to visit the Park Activities Coordinator Booth at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday (Mother’s Day) for a free flower giveaway.